I've been quietly reading this thread. The debates that have turned into arguments which have led to name calling and twisting of one's own character. It's fine to passionate, but we must also show God's love.
I can't help but see Christ's body(the church) as a vast group of people because God created our differences. Yet to be a born again blood bought Christian, there is only one way...yet so many doctrines and denominations. Of course, God knew this would be the case. He knows all. So what matters? We have the Jews and the old law. We have Jesus Christ and grace for the gentiles, where Christ let's everything hang on faith in His death and resurrection and loving one another the way He loves us. Diversity is part of His creation, but He certainly separated the Jews and gentiles and called Paul to do so. Under the old law, you have the commandments which man failed at miserably. So those that follow the old law do works as part of salvation. As gentiles, we accept Christ's death and resurrection as truth. We then seek to walk in His will. We choose to serve Him according to each of our purposes. He grows us in spirit and truth and shows us with His love, how to love others. We do our best to please Him and obey the past commandments...not because they are our salvation, not because works are our salvation, but because they are good for us. Why is this so confusing and if you don't see it that way...well, you don't. As long as your washed in the blood...God will find ways to put you where He wants you! May not always be pleasant...sometimes it's really tough love.
I am one that fervently insists that CHRIST recognized 7 types of Churches, that also represented 7 types of Christians, and all Seven Types can be found even Today. WHO ARE WE TO RECOGNIZE LESS. I will even stand up for the Catholics, as one of the Seven Types of Churches, and I have never been a Catholic. I can find the SAME DOCTRINAL STATEMENTS, that are located in a typical Baptist Doctrinal Statement, are in the Catholic Catechism.
What you may not have noticed, is we were not confronting denomination barriers, but rather those teaching a False Gospel, trying desperately to lead others astray.
Denominational Barriers usually are minor issues, that have little or NOTHING to do with SALVATION. However we believe Paul instructed us to take someone teaching a FALSE GOSPEL, very seriously:
1 Corinthians 16:21-22 (NASB)
[SUP]
21 [/SUP] The greeting is in my own hand—Paul.
[SUP]
22 [/SUP] If anyone does not love the Lord,
he is to be accursed. Maranatha.
Galatians 1:6-9 (NASB)
[SUP]
6 [/SUP] I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;
[SUP]
7 [/SUP] which is
really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
[SUP]
8 [/SUP] But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you,
he is to be accursed!
[SUP]
9 [/SUP] As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received,
he is to be accursed!
PAUL openly, and publicly confronted the teachers of FALSE GOSPELS, even naming names.
1 Timothy 1:18-20 (NASB)
[SUP]
18 [/SUP] This command I entrust to you, Timothy,
my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them
you fight the good fight,
[SUP]
19 [/SUP]
keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have
rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.
[SUP]
20 [/SUP] Among these are
Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.
JUDE put it this way:
Jude 1:3-4 (NASB)
[SUP]
3 [/SUP] Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you
appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.
[SUP]
4 [/SUP] For
certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Here is the proof that what they were trying to teach was a deceiving FALSE GOSPEL:
Galatians 5:4 (HCSB)
[SUP]
4 [/SUP] You who are
trying to be justified by the law are
alienated from Christ;
you have fallen from grace.